Hookless fastener



6, 1943. L. s. ROD 2,309,140

HOOKLES S FAS TENER VIII Z1 Fig. 9

INVENTOR. B L ester S. Rod/ i a v .TTORJVEYS.

Jan. 26, 1943. L, s. ROD

HOOKLESS FASTENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 8, 1940 Fig. 19

INVENTOR. Lester S. Rod/ ATTORNEYS- Fig. 17

Patented Jan. 26, 1943 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE Applicatio i i A rgu stfixtrlal zo. 351,809 4mm!- (cl.24-205.5)

This invention relates to hookless fasteners commonly known as zippers and has as its object the production of a new and improved device of this class.

Zippers have been objected to for the following reasons:

(1) Because the elements in which the puller member is pivoted extend upwardly from the upper surface of the slider and pierce or cut the garment to which the zipper is attached when the garment is being pressed.

(2) Because the latching pawl is so positioned that it may pierce or cut the garment when the garment is being pressed. This applies with especial force to zippers wherein the puller member is free to rotate through an angle of one hundred eighty degrees (180).

(3) Because one cannot obtain a firm grip upon the puller member. This is true not only on the occasions when the user's fingers are perspired but also when the users fingers are not in this condition.

It is the object of this invention to produce a zipper which will be free of the objectionable features hereinabove set forth.

I accomplish the foregoing as well as other objects by forming the puller member with a substantially smooth upper surface and pivotin said puller member at a point intermediate the upper and lower surfaces of the slider. In the preferred structure I make this pivot point at one of the ends of the slider and so form the puller member that it has a smooth upper surface which is curved both in its length and width.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention with the particularity required by law I have shown in the drawingswhich form a part hereof and will now describe two of the many structures into which my inventive concept may be incorporated.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of that fragment of a pair of trousers which includes the fly provided with a zipper which has my novel slider as a component element. A portion of the cloth has been broken away in order to show the zipper elements which are beneath it.

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of that fragment of the zipper and fly shown in Figure 1 which includes the slider.

Figure 3 is an end view of the slider shown in Figure 2 detached from the other zipper elements. The puller is shown in the raised position. This is the position of the puller when the slider is being moved either in the direction necessary to separate or the direction necessary to interlock the zipper teeth.

Figure! is a section of the puller taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side view of the slider shown in Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrow A.

Figure 6 is a, view of the slider shown in Figure 5 when the puller is in the lowered position. This is the position of the puller when the slider is not being manipulated to either separate or interlock the zipper teeth.

Figure '7 is a section of the slider per se taken along the line '|I of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a section taken along the line H of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a section taken along the line 9-4 of Figure 6.

Figure 10 is a view taken similarly to Figure 1 showing a modification of the slider shown in Figure 1. v

Figure 11 is an enlarged plan view of that fragment of the zipper and fly shown in Figure 10 which includes the slider.

Figure 12 is an end view of the slider shown in Figure 11 detached from the other zipper elements. The puller is in the raised position. This is the position of the puller when the slider is being moved in the direction necessary to separate or the direction necessary to interlock the zipper teeth.

Figure 13 is a section of the puller taken along the line |3 l3 of Figure 12.

Figure '1-4 is a side view of the slider shown in Figure 12 looking in the direction of the arrow B.

Figure 15 is a view of the slider shown in Figure 14 when the puller is in the lowered position. This is the position ofthe puller when the slider is not being manipulated to either separate or interlock the zipper teeth. g Figure 16 is a section of the slider per se taken along the line lB-IG of Figure 11.

Figure 17 is a section taken along the line l'l-l'l of Figure 15.

.wherein similar reference numerals denote similar parts; reference numeral i designates the slider shown in Figures 1 to 9 as a unit. The slider l consists of. a slide member 2, a puller bearing member 3 formed at one of the ends of the slide memberZ, the puller member 4 pivot- I ally mounted in said puller bearing member 2, and the latching pawl 5 carried by the puller member 4.

The slide member 2 consists of two spaced apart walls 8 and i which are substantially Y shaped in outline. The walls 6 and I are joined together at their upper ends by the column 8.

The puller bearing member 3 consists of the column 8, the wall 9 which may be considered as a continuation of the wallG, the wall Ill which may be considered as a continuation of the wall 1, and the wall II. The column 8 and the walls 9, ill, and II combine to define and form a bore l2 through which extend the fingers 23 and 24. The fingers 23 and 24 serve as a shaft for the puller member 4. The wall II has formed therein the shoulders Hi. The surface l4 of one of the shoulders l3 contact the surface of the arm l9 which is contiguous thereto when the puller is in the raised position shown in Figures 3 and 4 and serves to support said arm l9 when said puller member 4 is in said raised position. similarly the surface 24 of the other of said shoulders l3 contacts the surface 22 of the arm 2| which is contiguous thereto when the puller is in the position shown in Figures 3 and 4 and serves to support said arm 2| when said puller member 4 is in said raised position. The shoulder surfaces I4 also serve as stops to limit the movement of the puller 4. The shoulder surfaces l4 are so positioned on the wall I i that the body portion ll of the puller 4 will make an angle slightly less than ninety degrees (90) with the outer surface I5 of the wall 6. The size of this angle is determined by the helghth of the shoulder surfaces |4 above the outer surface l6 of the wall I. The higher the shoulder surfaces l4 are above the surface i6 of the wall I the smaller will be the angle formed by the body portion ll of the puller 4 and said surface i6.

The puller member 4 consists of a body portion ll which terminates at its lower end in the arms I9 and 2| which terminate at their respective ends in the fingers 23 and 24. The body portion H, the arms i9 and 2| and the fingers 23 and 24 combine to form a loop i8. The fingers 23 and 24 are received within the bore l2 of puller bearing member 3 and combine with the other elements of the loop i8 to attach the puller member 4 to the puller bearing member 3. In addition the fingers 23 and 24 together serve as a shaft for the puller member 4. As is best seen in Figures 4 to 7, the outer surface of the body member I! is smooth and curved both in its entire width and in its entire length. As is best seen in Figures 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 there are no protuberances which extend upwardly from the surface i5 of the slide member 2 beyond the upper surface 3|) of the body portion ll of the puller member 4.

The latching pawl 5 extends outwardly from the lower end of the loop arm 2| and consists of an arm 25 which terminates in a finger 26. The latching pawl arm 25 and its finger 2B are so formed and positioned that when the puller memher 4 is in the lowered position shown in Figures 1, 2, 6 and 7 the finger 26 enters between two adjacent teeth 21 carried by the tape 28 of the zipper 29. This looks the puller member 4 and the slider member 2 to which the puller member is connected against movement relatively to the interlocking teeth 21 and 21a of the zipper 29. Further the latching pawl arm 25 and its finger 26 are so formed and positioned that when the puller member 4 is in the raised position shown in Figures 3 and 5 the finger 26 will be entirely clear of the zipper teeth 21 and 21a carried by the tapes 28 and 280. In such event the user will be able to move the puller member 4 and the slider member 2 to which said puller member is attached either in the direction of the arrow A-i or the arrow A-2 in Figure 1that is, in the direction necessary to cause the interlocking teeth 21 and 21a either to separate or in the direction necessary to cause the separated teeth 21 and and 21a to lock, as might be desired.

Positioning of the puller bearing member 3 at the end of the slide member .2 makes possible a slider which although the same in overall length as the sliders now in use nevertheless has a puller which is longer than the puller now in use. This in turn makes it possible for the user to get a firmer grip on the slider.

Curving the body portion 30 of the puller both in the direction of its width and length makes possible a puller on which the user can secure a firmer grip and at the same time eliminates the possibilty of the cloth being cut or pierced by the metal of the puller 4 or slider 2 when the trousers are being pressed.

The firmer grip hereinabove specified due to either the added length or to the curvature of the puller member 4 results no matter whether the surface 30 of the body member ll of the puller 4 is perfectly smooth, or is serrated, or has cup-like indentations formed therein. This added length and/or curvature therefore make it possible for one to use a puller member 4 with D a perfectly smooth upper surface 30 and yet obtain a firmer grip than that which was secured with the prior art structures.

Definition-The term substantially smooth" used in the specification and claims is to be interpreted as broadly covering a perfectly smooth surface and a surface which is serrated or one which has cup-like indentations formed therein.

Pivoting the puller 4 at a point intermediate the upper surface i5 and lower surface iii of the slide 2 makes possible a slide member without excrescences on either of its outer surfaces. The elimination of excrescences on the outer surfaces of the slide member of a slider eliminates the piercing and cutting of the cloth during the pressing of the garment due to these excrescences.

.The shoulder surfaces M are placed so that the body portion I! of the puller member 4 will form an angle slightly less than ninety degrees with the surface l5 of the slide 2 for at least five reasons: First: This is the position where the user obtains almost the maximum leverage on the puller member 4. Second: This is the position which reduces to a the possibility of the presser pressing the trousers when the puller member 4 is not properly positioned. Third: This is the position from which the puller member 4 will automatically be caused to return to its proper position (shown in Figures 1, 2, and 7) in the event that a presser should attempt to press the trousers on a pressing machine when the puller is in the raised position. Fourth: This is the position from which the puller member will be automatically caused to return to its proper position (shown in Figures 1, 2, and 7) in the event that a presser should attempt to press the trousers by hand when the puller is open and the press is moving in the direction of the arrow A| in Figure 1. Fifth: In the event that the presser is using a hand press and irons in the direction of the arrow A--2 in Figure 1 when the puller member 4 is in the raised position, then it prevents him from so turning the puller 4 that the latching pawl finger 26 comes into contact with the cloth of the garment to which the zipper is attached. This oi course eliminates the possibility of cutting or tearing of the cloth due to contact with the latchingfingers.

The slider 32 shown in Figures to 18 differs from that shown in Figures 1 to 9 only in the following particulars:

(a) A continuous shaft 34 has been substituted for the two loop-fingers 23-24.

(b) The straight latching pawl 35 has been substituted for the latching pawl 5.

(c) The upper element 36 of the slide member 33 has been cut away at 37 to permit the latching pawl 35 to move into contact with the zipper teeth.

The foregoing disclosure is to be understood as being for the purpose of illustration only and not for the purpose of limitation since many changes may be made in the structure here shown without departing from the spirit of my invention. For this reason it is my desire that the claims which are hereunto appended for the purpose of defining my invention should be limited only by the prior art.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and useful is: p

1. In a slider for a zipper, said slider comprising a slide member and a puller member rotatably mounted in said slide member, means for limiting the rotation of said puller member to less than ninety degrees, said means consisting of a puller bearing member formed on said-slide member at one of the ends thereof; a bore formed in said puller bearing member intermediate the upper and lower faces thereof; at least one shoulder formed on said puller bearing member and extending rearwardly from said bore, the plane of floor of said shoulder being above the plane of the floor of said bore; an arm extending downwardly from said puller member to said bore and positioned for contacting said shoulder when said} puller is rotated upwardly; and a finger extending inwardly from said arm into said bore.

2. A slider for a zipper said slider comprising a slide member; a puller member having a'sub stantially smooth outer surface curved for its entire length and width rotatably mounted in said slide member; means for limiting the-rotation of said puller member to less than ninety degrees; said means consisting of a puller bearing member formed on said slide member at one of the ends thereof, a bore formed in said puller bearing member intermediate the upper and lower faces thereof, at least one shoulder formed on said puller bearing member and extending rearwardly from said bore, the plane of floor of said shoulder being above the plane of the floor of said bore, an arm extending downwardly from said puller member to said bore and positioned for contacting said shoulder when said puller is rotated upwardly, and a finger extending inwardly-from said arm into said bore.

3. A'slider for a zipper said slider comprising a slide member; a miller member having a substantially smooth outer surface curved for its entire length and width rotatably mounted in said slide member; means for limiting the rotation of said puller member to less than ninety degrees, said means consisting of a puller bearing member formed on said slide member at one of the ends thereof, the upper and lower surfaces of said puller bearing member being a continuation'of the upper and lower surfaces respectively of said slide member, a bore formed in each of the sides of said puller bearing member intermediate the upper and lower faces thereof, a pair of opposite- 1y disposed shoulders formed on said puller bearing member and extending rearwardly from said bore, the plane of floor of each of said shoulders being above the plane of the floor of said bore, an arm extending downwardly from said puller member to each of said bores and positioned for contacting the shoulder which is contiguous to said arm, and a finger extending inwardly from each of said arms into the bore which is contiguou thereto. 4

4. A slider for a zipper said slider comprising a slide member; a puller member having a substantially smooth outer surface curved for the entire length and width thereof rotatably mounted in saidslide member; a latching pawl carried by said puller member and positioned for being received between the teeth of the zipper with which the slider is to be associated to latch said slider against motion in at least one direction relatively to said teeth; means for limiting the rotation of said puller member to less than ninety degrees, said means consisting of a puller bearing member formed on said slide member at one of the ends thereof, the upper and lower surfaces of said puller bearing-member being a continuation of the upper and lower surfaces respectively of said slide member, a bore formed in each of the sides of sald'puller bearing member intermediate the upper and lower faces thereof, a pair of oppositely disposed shoulders formed on said puller bearing member and extending rearwardly from said bore, the plane of floor of each of said shoulders being above the plane of the floor of said bore, an arm extending downwardly from said puller member to each of said bores and positioned for contacting the shoulder which is contiguous to said arm, and a finger extending inwardly from each of said arms into the bore which is contiguous thereto.

LESTER'S. ROD. 

